Colonel Sanders: an Active Role in KFC Until the End

Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder and iconic face of Kentucky Fried Chicken, stayed actively involved with the brand as its global ambassador until his death at age 90 in Louisville in December 1980.

Born in Henryville, Indiana in 1890, Sanders lost his father at age six and worked as a farmer, streetcar conductor, railroad fireman, and insurance salesman before perfecting his famous fried chicken at a Kentucky service station he ran at age 40.

Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon named him an honorary Kentucky colonel in 1935 in recognition of that chicken, and Sanders began franchising in 1952 with Pete Harman in Salt Lake City, initially earning a nickel for every chicken sold.

He sold his interest in the company for $2 million in 1964, when it had grown past 600 franchised outlets, but remained the brand's worldwide spokesman and quality watchdog.

KFC went public in 1966, joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1969, and sold to Heublein Inc. for $285 million in 1971, all while Sanders kept traveling to visit franchises and famously refused to tolerate food that fell short of his original standards.

His outlook was summed up in his own words: there is no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery, because you can't do any business from there.

A Kentucky identity does not guarantee Kentucky jobs. In its February 18, 2025 announcement, Yum Brands planned to move about 100 KFC US corporate roles from Louisville to Plano, Texas, while keeping Yum and KFC Foundation offices in Louisville. It also pledged a $1 million university endowment and described a flagship restaurant as an ambition. That statement did not give the restaurant an opening date, so the Colonel's September birthday was not an established deadline. Local workers faced relocation while the company preserved its hometown branding. Watch for a specific site and opening announcement before counting the flagship as delivered.